Friday, January 24, 2014
Is she The Next Steve Jobs?
Is she The Next Steve Jobs?
Original post from Wired:
How a Radical New Teaching Method Could Unleash a Generation of Geniuses.
José Urbina López Primary School sits next to a dump just across the US border in Mexico. The school serves residents of Matamoros, a dusty, sunbaked city of 489,000 that is a flash point in the war on drugs. There are regular shoot-outs, and it’s not uncommon for locals to find bodies scattered in the street in the morning. To get to the school, students walk along a white dirt road that parallels a fetid canal. On a recent morning there was a 1940s-era tractor, a decaying boat in a ditch, and a herd of goats nibbling gray strands of grass. A cinder-block barrier separates the school from a wasteland—the far end of which is a mound of trash that grew so big, it was finally closed down. On most days, a rotten smell drifts through the cement-walled classrooms. Some people here call the school un lugar de castigo—“a place of punishment.”
For 12-year-old Paloma Noyola Bueno, it was a bright spot. More than 25 years ago, her family moved to the border from central Mexico in search of a better life. Instead, they got stuck living beside the dump. Her father spent all day scavenging for scrap, digging for pieces of aluminum, glass, and plastic in the muck. Recently, he had developed nosebleeds, but he didn’t want Paloma to worry. She was his little angel—the youngest of eight children.
After school, Paloma would come home and sit with her father in the main room of their cement-and-wood home. Her father was a weather-beaten, gaunt man who always wore a cowboy hat. Paloma would recite the day’s lessons for him in her crisp uniform—gray polo, blue-and-white skirt—and try to cheer him up. She had long black hair, a high forehead, and a thoughtful, measured way of talking. School had never been challenging for her. She sat in rows with the other students while teachers told the kids what they needed to know. It wasn’t hard to repeat it back, and she got good grades without thinking too much. As she headed into fifth grade, she assumed she was in for more of the same—lectures, memorization, and busy work.
Sergio Juárez Correa was used to teaching that kind of class. For five years, he had stood in front of students and worked his way through the government-mandated curriculum. It was mind-numbingly boring for him and the students, and he’d come to the conclusion that it was a waste of time. Test scores were poor, and even the students who did well weren’t truly engaged. Something had to change.
He too had grown up beside a garbage dump in Matamoros, and he had become a teacher to help kids learn enough to make something more of their lives. So in 2011—when Paloma entered his class—Juárez Correa decided to start experimenting. He began reading books and searching for ideas online. Soon he stumbled on a video describing the work of Sugata Mitra, a professor of educational technology at Newcastle University in the UK. In the late 1990s and throughout the 2000s, Mitra conducted experiments in which he gave children in India access to computers. Without any instruction, they were able to teach themselves a surprising variety of things, from DNA replication to English.
Elementary school teacher Sergio Juárez Correa, 31, upended his teaching methods, revealing extraordinary abilities in his 12-year-old student Paloma Noyola Bueno.
Juárez Correa didn’t know it yet, but he had happened on an
emerging educational philosophy, one that applies the logic
of the digital age to the classroom. That logic is inexorable:
Access to a world of infinite information has changed how
we communicate, process information, and think. Decentralized
systems have proven to be more productive and agile than
rigid, top-down ones. Innovation, creativity, and independent
thinking are increasingly crucial to the global economy.
emerging educational philosophy, one that applies the logic
of the digital age to the classroom. That logic is inexorable:
Access to a world of infinite information has changed how
we communicate, process information, and think. Decentralized
systems have proven to be more productive and agile than
rigid, top-down ones. Innovation, creativity, and independent
thinking are increasingly crucial to the global economy.
And yet the dominant model of public education is still
fundamentally rooted in the industrial revolution that
spawned it, when workplaces valued punctuality, regularity,
attention, and silence above all else. (In 1899, William
T. Harris, the US commissioner of education, celebrated
the fact that US schools had developed the “appearance
of a machine,” one that teaches the student “to behave in an
orderly manner, to stay in his own place, and not get in the
way of others.”) We don’t openly profess those values
nowadays, but our educational system—which routinely tests
kids on their ability to recall information and demonstrate
mastery of a narrow set of skills—doubles down on the view that
students are material to be processed, programmed, and
quality-tested. School administrators prepare curriculum
standards and “pacing guides” that tell teachers what to
teach each day. Legions of managers supervise everything
that happens in the classroom; in 2010 only 50 percent of
public school staff members in the US were teachers.
fundamentally rooted in the industrial revolution that
spawned it, when workplaces valued punctuality, regularity,
attention, and silence above all else. (In 1899, William
T. Harris, the US commissioner of education, celebrated
the fact that US schools had developed the “appearance
of a machine,” one that teaches the student “to behave in an
orderly manner, to stay in his own place, and not get in the
way of others.”) We don’t openly profess those values
nowadays, but our educational system—which routinely tests
kids on their ability to recall information and demonstrate
mastery of a narrow set of skills—doubles down on the view that
students are material to be processed, programmed, and
quality-tested. School administrators prepare curriculum
standards and “pacing guides” that tell teachers what to
teach each day. Legions of managers supervise everything
that happens in the classroom; in 2010 only 50 percent of
public school staff members in the US were teachers.
The results speak for themselves: Hundreds of thousands of
kids drop out of public high school every year. Of those who
do graduate from high school, almost a third are “not prepared
academically for first-year college courses,” according to a
2013 report from the testing service ACT. The World Economic
Forum ranks the US just 49th out of 148 developed and
developing nations in quality of math and science
instruction. “The fundamental basis of the system is fatally
flawed,” says Linda Darling-Hammond, a professor of education
at Stanford and founding director of the National Commission
on Teaching and America’s Future. “In 1970 the top three skills
required by the Fortune 500 were the three Rs: reading,
writing, and arithmetic. In 1999 the top three skills in
demand were teamwork, problem-solving, and interpersonal
skills.
We need schools that are developing these skills.”
kids drop out of public high school every year. Of those who
do graduate from high school, almost a third are “not prepared
academically for first-year college courses,” according to a
2013 report from the testing service ACT. The World Economic
Forum ranks the US just 49th out of 148 developed and
developing nations in quality of math and science
instruction. “The fundamental basis of the system is fatally
flawed,” says Linda Darling-Hammond, a professor of education
at Stanford and founding director of the National Commission
on Teaching and America’s Future. “In 1970 the top three skills
required by the Fortune 500 were the three Rs: reading,
writing, and arithmetic. In 1999 the top three skills in
demand were teamwork, problem-solving, and interpersonal
skills.
We need schools that are developing these skills.”
That’s why a new breed of educators, inspired by everything from
the Internet to evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, and AI,
are inventing radical new ways for children to learn, grow,
and thrive. To them, knowledge isn’t a commodity that’s
delivered from teacher to student but something that emerges
from the students’ own curiosity-fueled exploration.
Teachers provide prompts, not answers, and then they step
aside so students can teach themselves and one another.
They are creating ways for children to discover their passion
—and uncovering a generation of geniuses in the process.
the Internet to evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, and AI,
are inventing radical new ways for children to learn, grow,
and thrive. To them, knowledge isn’t a commodity that’s
delivered from teacher to student but something that emerges
from the students’ own curiosity-fueled exploration.
Teachers provide prompts, not answers, and then they step
aside so students can teach themselves and one another.
They are creating ways for children to discover their passion
—and uncovering a generation of geniuses in the process.
At home in Matamoros, Juárez Correa found himself utterly
absorbed by these ideas. And the more he learned, the
more excited he became. On August 21, 2011—the start of
the school year — he walked into his classroom and pulled
the battered wooden desks into small groups. When Paloma
and the other students filed in, they looked confused. Juárez
Correa invited them to take a seat and then sat down with them.
absorbed by these ideas. And the more he learned, the
more excited he became. On August 21, 2011—the start of
the school year — he walked into his classroom and pulled
the battered wooden desks into small groups. When Paloma
and the other students filed in, they looked confused. Juárez
Correa invited them to take a seat and then sat down with them.
He started by telling them that there were kids in other parts of
he world who could memorize pi to hundreds of decimal points.
They could write symphonies and build robots and airplanes.
Most people wouldn’t think that the students at José Urbina
López could do those kinds of things. Kids just across
the border in Brownsville, Texas, had laptops, high-speed
Internet, and tutoring, while in Matamoros the students
had intermittent electricity, few computers, limited Internet,
and sometimes not enough to eat.
he world who could memorize pi to hundreds of decimal points.
They could write symphonies and build robots and airplanes.
Most people wouldn’t think that the students at José Urbina
López could do those kinds of things. Kids just across
the border in Brownsville, Texas, had laptops, high-speed
Internet, and tutoring, while in Matamoros the students
had intermittent electricity, few computers, limited Internet,
and sometimes not enough to eat.
“But you do have one thing that makes you the equal of any
kid in the world,” Juárez Correa said. “Potential.”
kid in the world,” Juárez Correa said. “Potential.”
He looked around the room. “And from now on,” he told them,
“we’re going to use that potential to make you the best
students in the world.”
“we’re going to use that potential to make you the best
students in the world.”
Paloma was silent, waiting to be told what to do. She didn’t
realize that over the next nine months, her experience of
school would be rewritten, tapping into an array of educational
innovations from around the world and vaulting her and
some of her classmates to the top of the math and language
rankings in Mexico.
realize that over the next nine months, her experience of
school would be rewritten, tapping into an array of educational
innovations from around the world and vaulting her and
some of her classmates to the top of the math and language
rankings in Mexico.
“So,” Juárez Correa said, “what do you want to learn?”
In 1999, Sugata Mitra was chief scientist at a company in
New Delhi that trains software developers. His office was
on the edge of a slum, and on a hunch one day, he decided
to put a computer into a nook in a wall separating his building
from the slum. He was curious to see what the kids would do,
particularly if he said nothing. He simply powered the
computer on and watched from a distance. To his surprise,
the children quickly figured out how to use the machine.
New Delhi that trains software developers. His office was
on the edge of a slum, and on a hunch one day, he decided
to put a computer into a nook in a wall separating his building
from the slum. He was curious to see what the kids would do,
particularly if he said nothing. He simply powered the
computer on and watched from a distance. To his surprise,
the children quickly figured out how to use the machine.
Over the years, Mitra got more ambitious. For a study published
in 2010, he loaded a computer with molecular biology materials
and set it up in Kalikuppam, a village in southern India. He
selected a small group of 10- to 14-year-olds and told them
there was some interesting stuff on the computer, and
might they take a look? Then he applied his new pedagogical
method: He said no more and left.
in 2010, he loaded a computer with molecular biology materials
and set it up in Kalikuppam, a village in southern India. He
selected a small group of 10- to 14-year-olds and told them
there was some interesting stuff on the computer, and
might they take a look? Then he applied his new pedagogical
method: He said no more and left.
Over the next 75 days, the children worked out how to use the
computer and began to learn. When Mitra returned, he
administered a written test on molecular biology. The kids
answered about one in four questions correctly. After another
75 days, with the encouragement of a friendly local, they were
getting every other question right. “If you put a computer in
front of children and remove all other adult restrictions,
they will self-organize around it,” Mitra says, “like bees around
a flower.”
computer and began to learn. When Mitra returned, he
administered a written test on molecular biology. The kids
answered about one in four questions correctly. After another
75 days, with the encouragement of a friendly local, they were
getting every other question right. “If you put a computer in
front of children and remove all other adult restrictions,
they will self-organize around it,” Mitra says, “like bees around
a flower.”
A charismatic and convincing proselytizer, Mitra has become a
darling in the tech world. In early 2013 he won a $1 million
grant from TED, the global ideas conference, to pursue his work.
He’s now in the process of establishing seven “schools in the
cloud,” five in India and two in the UK. In India, most of
his schools are single-room buildings. There will be no teachers,
curriculum, or separation into age groups—just six or so
computers and a woman to look after the kids’ safety. His
defining principle: “The children are completely in charge.”
darling in the tech world. In early 2013 he won a $1 million
grant from TED, the global ideas conference, to pursue his work.
He’s now in the process of establishing seven “schools in the
cloud,” five in India and two in the UK. In India, most of
his schools are single-room buildings. There will be no teachers,
curriculum, or separation into age groups—just six or so
computers and a woman to look after the kids’ safety. His
defining principle: “The children are completely in charge.”
“THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IF YOU’RE NOT THE ONE
CONTROLLING YOUR LEARNING, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO
LEARN AS WELL.”
CONTROLLING YOUR LEARNING, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO
LEARN AS WELL.”
Mitra argues that the information revolution has enabled a
style of learning that wasn’t possible before. The exterior
of his schools will be mostly glass, so outsiders can peer in.
Inside, students will gather in groups around computers and
research topics that interest them. He has also recruited
a group of retired British teachers who will appear occasionally
on large wall screens via Skype, encouraging students to
investigate their ideas—a process Mitra believes best fosters
learning. He calls them the Granny Cloud. “They’ll be life-size,
on two walls” Mitra says. “And the children can always turn
them off.”
style of learning that wasn’t possible before. The exterior
of his schools will be mostly glass, so outsiders can peer in.
Inside, students will gather in groups around computers and
research topics that interest them. He has also recruited
a group of retired British teachers who will appear occasionally
on large wall screens via Skype, encouraging students to
investigate their ideas—a process Mitra believes best fosters
learning. He calls them the Granny Cloud. “They’ll be life-size,
on two walls” Mitra says. “And the children can always turn
them off.”
Mitra’s work has roots in educational practices dating
back to Socrates. Theorists from Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
to Jean Piaget and Maria Montessori have argued that students
should learn by playing and following their curiosity. Einstein
spent a year at a Pestalozzi-inspired school in the mid-1890s,
and he later credited it with giving him the freedom to begin
his first thought experiments on the theory of relativity. Google
founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin similarly claim that
their Montessori schooling imbued them with a spirit of
independence and creativity.
back to Socrates. Theorists from Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
to Jean Piaget and Maria Montessori have argued that students
should learn by playing and following their curiosity. Einstein
spent a year at a Pestalozzi-inspired school in the mid-1890s,
and he later credited it with giving him the freedom to begin
his first thought experiments on the theory of relativity. Google
founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin similarly claim that
their Montessori schooling imbued them with a spirit of
independence and creativity.
In recent years, researchers have begun backing up those
theories with evidence. In a 2011 study, scientists at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the
University of Iowa scanned the brain activity of 16 people
sitting in front of a computer screen. The screen was blurred
out except for a small, movable square through which subjects
could glimpse objects laid out on a grid. Half the time, the subjects
controlled the square window, allowing them to determine
the pace at which they examined the objects; the rest of
the time, they watched a replay of someone else moving the
window. The study found that when the subjects controlled
their own observations, they exhibited more coordination
between the hippocampus and other parts of the brain involved
in learning and posted a 23 percent improvement in their ability
to remember objects. “The bottom line is, if you’re not
the one who’s controlling your learning, you’re not going to
learn as well,” says lead researcher Joel Voss, now a
neuroscientist at Northwestern University.
theories with evidence. In a 2011 study, scientists at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the
University of Iowa scanned the brain activity of 16 people
sitting in front of a computer screen. The screen was blurred
out except for a small, movable square through which subjects
could glimpse objects laid out on a grid. Half the time, the subjects
controlled the square window, allowing them to determine
the pace at which they examined the objects; the rest of
the time, they watched a replay of someone else moving the
window. The study found that when the subjects controlled
their own observations, they exhibited more coordination
between the hippocampus and other parts of the brain involved
in learning and posted a 23 percent improvement in their ability
to remember objects. “The bottom line is, if you’re not
the one who’s controlling your learning, you’re not going to
learn as well,” says lead researcher Joel Voss, now a
neuroscientist at Northwestern University.
In 2009, scientists from the University of Louisville and MIT’s
Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences conducted a study
of 48 children between the ages of 3 and 6. The kids were
presented with a toy that could squeak, play notes, and
reflect images, among other things. For one set of children,
a researcher demonstrated a single attribute and then let them
play with the toy. Another set of students was given no
information about the toy. This group played longer and
discovered an average of six attributes of the toy; the group
that was told what to do discovered only about four. A similar
study at UC Berkeley demonstrated that kids given no instruction
were much more likely to come up with novel solutions to a
problem. “The science is brand-new, but it’s not as if people
didn’t have this intuition before,” says coauthor Alison Gopnik,
a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley.
Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences conducted a study
of 48 children between the ages of 3 and 6. The kids were
presented with a toy that could squeak, play notes, and
reflect images, among other things. For one set of children,
a researcher demonstrated a single attribute and then let them
play with the toy. Another set of students was given no
information about the toy. This group played longer and
discovered an average of six attributes of the toy; the group
that was told what to do discovered only about four. A similar
study at UC Berkeley demonstrated that kids given no instruction
were much more likely to come up with novel solutions to a
problem. “The science is brand-new, but it’s not as if people
didn’t have this intuition before,” says coauthor Alison Gopnik,
a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley.
Gopnik’s research is informed in part by advances in artificial
intelligence. If you program a robot’s every movement, she
says, it can’t adapt to anything unexpected. But when
scientists build machines that are programmed to try a variety
of motions and learn from mistakes, the robots become far
more adaptable and skilled. The same principle applies to children,
she says.
intelligence. If you program a robot’s every movement, she
says, it can’t adapt to anything unexpected. But when
scientists build machines that are programmed to try a variety
of motions and learn from mistakes, the robots become far
more adaptable and skilled. The same principle applies to children,
she says.
way of thinking. Peter Gray, a research professor at
Boston College who studies children’s natural ways of learning,
argues that human cognitive machinery is fundamentally
incompatible with conventional schooling. Gray points out that
young children, motivated by curiosity and playfulness, teach
themselves a tremendous amount about the world. And yet
when they reach school age, we supplant that innate drive to
learn with an imposed curriculum. “We’re teaching the child that
his questions don’t matter, that what matters are the questions
of the curriculum. That’s just not the way natural selection
designed us to learn. It designed us to solve problems and figure
things out that are part of our real lives.”
Some school systems have begun to adapt to this new
philosophy—with outsize results. In the 1990s, Finland pared
the country’s elementary math curriculum from about 25
pages to four, reduced the school day by an hour, and
focused on independence and active learning. By 2003, Finnish
students had climbed from the lower rungs of international
performance rankings to first place among developed nations.
philosophy—with outsize results. In the 1990s, Finland pared
the country’s elementary math curriculum from about 25
pages to four, reduced the school day by an hour, and
focused on independence and active learning. By 2003, Finnish
students had climbed from the lower rungs of international
performance rankings to first place among developed nations.
Nicholas Negroponte, cofounder of the MIT Media Lab, is taking
this approach even further with his One Laptop per Child initiative.
Last year the organization delivered 40 tablets to children in
two remote villages in Ethiopia. Negroponte’s team didn’t
explain how the devices work or even open the boxes.
Nonetheless, the children soon learned to play back the
alphabet song and taught themselves to write letters. They also
figured out how to use the tablet’s camera. This was impressive
because the organization had disabled camera usage. “They
hacked Android,” Negroponte says.
this approach even further with his One Laptop per Child initiative.
Last year the organization delivered 40 tablets to children in
two remote villages in Ethiopia. Negroponte’s team didn’t
explain how the devices work or even open the boxes.
Nonetheless, the children soon learned to play back the
alphabet song and taught themselves to write letters. They also
figured out how to use the tablet’s camera. This was impressive
because the organization had disabled camera usage. “They
hacked Android,” Negroponte says.
One day Juárez Correa went to his whiteboard and wrote
“1 = 1.00.” Normally, at this point, he would start explaining
the concept of fractions and decimals. Instead he just wrote
“½ = ?” and “¼ = ?”
“1 = 1.00.” Normally, at this point, he would start explaining
the concept of fractions and decimals. Instead he just wrote
“½ = ?” and “¼ = ?”
“Think about that for a second,” he said, and walked out of the
room.
room.
While the kids murmured, Juárez Correa went to the school
cafeteria, where children could buy breakfast and lunch for
small change. He borrowed about 10 pesos in coins, worth
about 75 cents, and walked back to his classroom, where
he distributed a peso’s worth of coins to each table. He noticed
that Paloma had already written .50 and .25 on a piece of paper.
cafeteria, where children could buy breakfast and lunch for
small change. He borrowed about 10 pesos in coins, worth
about 75 cents, and walked back to his classroom, where
he distributed a peso’s worth of coins to each table. He noticed
that Paloma had already written .50 and .25 on a piece of paper.
“One peso is one peso,” he said. “What’s one-half?”
JUÁREZ CORREA FELT A CHILL. HE HAD NEVER ENCOUNTERED
A STUDENT WITH PALOMA’S LEVEL OF INNATE ABILITY.
A STUDENT WITH PALOMA’S LEVEL OF INNATE ABILITY.
At first a number of kids divided the coins into clearly
unequal piles. It sparked a debate among the students about
what one-half meant. Juárez Correa’s training told him to
intervene. But now he remembered Mitra’s research and
resisted the urge. Instead, he watched as Alma Delia Juárez
Flores explained to her tablemates that half means equal
portions. She counted out 50 centavos. “So the answer is .50,
” she said. The other kids nodded. It made sense.
unequal piles. It sparked a debate among the students about
what one-half meant. Juárez Correa’s training told him to
intervene. But now he remembered Mitra’s research and
resisted the urge. Instead, he watched as Alma Delia Juárez
Flores explained to her tablemates that half means equal
portions. She counted out 50 centavos. “So the answer is .50,
” she said. The other kids nodded. It made sense.
For Juárez Correa it was simultaneously thrilling and a bit
scary. In Finland, teachers underwent years of training
to learn how to orchestrate this new style of learning; he
was winging it. He began experimenting with different ways
of posing open-ended questions on subjects ranging from the
volume of cubes to multiplying fractions. “The volume of
a square-based prism is the area of the base times the height.
The volume of a square-based pyramid is that formula divided
by three,” he said one morning. “Why do you think that is?”
scary. In Finland, teachers underwent years of training
to learn how to orchestrate this new style of learning; he
was winging it. He began experimenting with different ways
of posing open-ended questions on subjects ranging from the
volume of cubes to multiplying fractions. “The volume of
a square-based prism is the area of the base times the height.
The volume of a square-based pyramid is that formula divided
by three,” he said one morning. “Why do you think that is?”
He walked around the room, saying little. It was fascinating
to watch the kids approach the answer. They were working
in teams and had models of various shapes to look at and
play with. The team led by Usiel Lemus Aquino, a short
boy with an ever-present hopeful expression, hit on the idea
of drawing the different shapes—prisms and pyramids. By
layering the drawings on top of each other, they began to divine
the answer. Juárez Correa let the kids talk freely. It was a
noisy, slightly chaotic environment—exactly the opposite of
the sort of factory-friendly discipline that teachers were expected
to impose. But within 20 minutes, they had come up with the
answer.
to watch the kids approach the answer. They were working
in teams and had models of various shapes to look at and
play with. The team led by Usiel Lemus Aquino, a short
boy with an ever-present hopeful expression, hit on the idea
of drawing the different shapes—prisms and pyramids. By
layering the drawings on top of each other, they began to divine
the answer. Juárez Correa let the kids talk freely. It was a
noisy, slightly chaotic environment—exactly the opposite of
the sort of factory-friendly discipline that teachers were expected
to impose. But within 20 minutes, they had come up with the
answer.
“Three pyramids fit in one prism,” Usiel observed, speaking for
the group. “So the volume of a pyramid must be the volume of
a prism divided by three.”
the group. “So the volume of a pyramid must be the volume of
a prism divided by three.”
Juárez Correa was impressed. But he was even more intrigued
by Paloma. During these experiments, he noticed that she
almost always came up with the answer immediately.
Sometimes she explained things to her tablemates, other times
she kept the answer to herself. Nobody had told him that she
had an unusual gift. Yet even when he gave the class difficult
questions, she quickly jotted down the answers. To test
her limits, he challenged the class with a problem he was sure
would stump her. He told the story of Carl Friedrich Gauss,
the famous German mathematician, who was born in 1777.
by Paloma. During these experiments, he noticed that she
almost always came up with the answer immediately.
Sometimes she explained things to her tablemates, other times
she kept the answer to herself. Nobody had told him that she
had an unusual gift. Yet even when he gave the class difficult
questions, she quickly jotted down the answers. To test
her limits, he challenged the class with a problem he was sure
would stump her. He told the story of Carl Friedrich Gauss,
the famous German mathematician, who was born in 1777.
When Gauss was a schoolboy, one of his teachers asked the
class to add up every number between 1 and 100. It was
supposed to take an hour, but Gauss had the answer almost
instantly.
class to add up every number between 1 and 100. It was
supposed to take an hour, but Gauss had the answer almost
instantly.
“Does anyone know how he did this?” Juárez Correa asked.
A few students started trying to add up the numbers and
soon realized it would take a long time. Paloma, working
with her group, carefully wrote out a few sequences and looked
at them for a moment. Then she raised her hand.
soon realized it would take a long time. Paloma, working
with her group, carefully wrote out a few sequences and looked
at them for a moment. Then she raised her hand.
“The answer is 5,050,” she said. “There are 50 pairs of 101.”
Juárez Correa felt a chill. He’d never encountered a student
with so much innate ability. He squatted next to her and
asked why she hadn’t expressed much interest in math in the
past, since she was clearly good at it.
with so much innate ability. He squatted next to her and
asked why she hadn’t expressed much interest in math in the
past, since she was clearly good at it.
“Because no one made it this interesting,” she said.
OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IS ROOTED IN THE INDUSTRIAL
AGE. IT VALUES PUNCTUALITY, ATTENDANCE, AND SILENCE ABOVE ALL ELSE.
AGE. IT VALUES PUNCTUALITY, ATTENDANCE, AND SILENCE ABOVE ALL ELSE.
Paloma’s father got sicker. He continued working, but he
was running a fever and suffering headaches. Finally he was
admitted to the hospital, where his condition deteriorated;
on February 27, 2012, he died of lung cancer. On Paloma’s last
visit before he passed away, she sat beside him and held his
hand. “You are a smart girl,” he said. “Study and make me proud.”
was running a fever and suffering headaches. Finally he was
admitted to the hospital, where his condition deteriorated;
on February 27, 2012, he died of lung cancer. On Paloma’s last
visit before he passed away, she sat beside him and held his
hand. “You are a smart girl,” he said. “Study and make me proud.”
Paloma missed four days of school for the funeral before
returning to class. Her friends could tell she was distraught,
but she buried her grief. She wanted to live up to her father’s
last wish. And Juárez Correa’s new style of curating challenges
for the kids was the perfect refuge for her. As he continued
to relinquish control, Paloma took on more responsibility
for her own education. He taught the kids about democracy by
letting them elect leaders who would decide how to run
the class and address discipline. The children elected five
representatives, including Paloma and Usiel. When two
boys got into a shoving match, the representatives admonished
the boys, and the problem didn’t happen again.
returning to class. Her friends could tell she was distraught,
but she buried her grief. She wanted to live up to her father’s
last wish. And Juárez Correa’s new style of curating challenges
for the kids was the perfect refuge for her. As he continued
to relinquish control, Paloma took on more responsibility
for her own education. He taught the kids about democracy by
letting them elect leaders who would decide how to run
the class and address discipline. The children elected five
representatives, including Paloma and Usiel. When two
boys got into a shoving match, the representatives admonished
the boys, and the problem didn’t happen again.
Juárez Correa spent his nights watching education videos. He
read polemics by the Mexican cartoonist Eduardo del Río (known
as Rius), who argued that kids should be free to explore whatever
they want. He was also still impressed by Mitra, who talks
about letting children “wander aimlessly around ideas.” Juárez
Correa began hosting regular debates in class, and he didn’t
shy away from controversial topics. He asked the kids if
they thought homosexuality and abortion should be permitted.
He asked them to figure out what the Mexican government
should do, if anything, about immigration to the US. Once
he asked a question, he would stand back and let them engage
one another.
read polemics by the Mexican cartoonist Eduardo del Río (known
as Rius), who argued that kids should be free to explore whatever
they want. He was also still impressed by Mitra, who talks
about letting children “wander aimlessly around ideas.” Juárez
Correa began hosting regular debates in class, and he didn’t
shy away from controversial topics. He asked the kids if
they thought homosexuality and abortion should be permitted.
He asked them to figure out what the Mexican government
should do, if anything, about immigration to the US. Once
he asked a question, he would stand back and let them engage
one another.
A key component in Mitra’s theory was that children could
learn by having access to the web, but that wasn’t easy
for Juárez Correa’s students. The state paid for a technology
instructor who visited each class once a week, but he
didn’t have much technology to demonstrate. Instead, he had
a batch of posters depicting keyboards, joysticks, and 3.5-inch
floppy disks. He would hold the posters up and say things like,
“This is a keyboard. You use it to type.”
learn by having access to the web, but that wasn’t easy
for Juárez Correa’s students. The state paid for a technology
instructor who visited each class once a week, but he
didn’t have much technology to demonstrate. Instead, he had
a batch of posters depicting keyboards, joysticks, and 3.5-inch
floppy disks. He would hold the posters up and say things like,
“This is a keyboard. You use it to type.”
As a result, Juárez Correa became a slow-motion conduit to
the Internet. When the kids wanted to know why we see only
one side of the moon, for example, he went home, Googled it,
and brought back an explanation the next day. When they
asked specific questions about eclipses and the equinox, he
told them he’d figure it out and report back.
the Internet. When the kids wanted to know why we see only
one side of the moon, for example, he went home, Googled it,
and brought back an explanation the next day. When they
asked specific questions about eclipses and the equinox, he
told them he’d figure it out and report back.
Juárez Correa also brought something else back from the Internet.
It was the fable of a forlorn burro trapped at the bottom of
a well. Since thieves had broken into the school and sliced the
electrical cord off of the classroom projector (presumably to sell
the copper inside), he couldn’t actually show them the clip that
recounted the tale. Instead, he simply described it.
It was the fable of a forlorn burro trapped at the bottom of
a well. Since thieves had broken into the school and sliced the
electrical cord off of the classroom projector (presumably to sell
the copper inside), he couldn’t actually show them the clip that
recounted the tale. Instead, he simply described it.
One day, a burro fell into a well, Juárez Correa began. It wasn’t
hurt, but it couldn’t get out. The burro’s owner decided that the
aged beast wasn’t worth saving, and since the well was dry, he
would just bury both. He began to shovel clods of earth into
the well. The burro cried out, but the man kept shoveling.
Eventually, the burro fell silent. The man assumed the animal
was dead, so he was amazed when, after a lot of shoveling,
the burro leaped out of the well. It had shaken off each clump
of dirt and stepped up the steadily rising mound until it was
able to jump out.
hurt, but it couldn’t get out. The burro’s owner decided that the
aged beast wasn’t worth saving, and since the well was dry, he
would just bury both. He began to shovel clods of earth into
the well. The burro cried out, but the man kept shoveling.
Eventually, the burro fell silent. The man assumed the animal
was dead, so he was amazed when, after a lot of shoveling,
the burro leaped out of the well. It had shaken off each clump
of dirt and stepped up the steadily rising mound until it was
able to jump out.
Juárez Correa looked at his class. “We are like that burro,”
he said. “Everything that is thrown at us is an opportunity to
rise out of the well we are in.”
he said. “Everything that is thrown at us is an opportunity to
rise out of the well we are in.”
When the two-day national standardized exam took place in
June 2012, Juárez Correa viewed it as just another pile of dirt
thrown on the kids’ heads. It was a step back to the way school
used to be for them: mechanical and boring. To prevent
cheating, a coordinator from the Ministry of Education
oversaw the proceedings and took custody of the answer sheets
at the end of testing. It felt like a military exercise, but as the
kids blasted through the questions, they couldn’t help noticing
that it felt easy, as if they were being asked to do something
very basic.
June 2012, Juárez Correa viewed it as just another pile of dirt
thrown on the kids’ heads. It was a step back to the way school
used to be for them: mechanical and boring. To prevent
cheating, a coordinator from the Ministry of Education
oversaw the proceedings and took custody of the answer sheets
at the end of testing. It felt like a military exercise, but as the
kids blasted through the questions, they couldn’t help noticing
that it felt easy, as if they were being asked to do something
very basic.
Ricardo Zavala Hernandez, assistant principal at José Urbina
López, drinks a cup of coffee most mornings as he browses
the web in the admin building, a cement structure that houses
the school’s two functioning computers. One day in September
2012, he clicked on the site for ENLACE, Mexico’s national
achievement exam, and discovered that the results of the June
test had been posted.
López, drinks a cup of coffee most mornings as he browses
the web in the admin building, a cement structure that houses
the school’s two functioning computers. One day in September
2012, he clicked on the site for ENLACE, Mexico’s national
achievement exam, and discovered that the results of the June
test had been posted.
Zavala Hernandez put down his coffee. Most of the
classes had done marginally better this year—but Paloma’s
grade was another story. The previous year, 45 percent had
essentially failed the math section, and 31 percent had failed
Spanish. This time only 7 percent failed math and 3.5 percent
failed Spanish. And while none had posted an Excellent
score before, 63 percent were now in that category in math.
classes had done marginally better this year—but Paloma’s
grade was another story. The previous year, 45 percent had
essentially failed the math section, and 31 percent had failed
Spanish. This time only 7 percent failed math and 3.5 percent
failed Spanish. And while none had posted an Excellent
score before, 63 percent were now in that category in math.
The language scores were very high. Even the lowest was
well above the national average. Then he noticed the math
scores. The top score in Juárez Correa’s class was 921.
Zavala Hernandez looked over at the top score in the state:
It was 921. When he saw the next box over, the hairs on
his arms stood up. The top score in the entire country was
also 921.
well above the national average. Then he noticed the math
scores. The top score in Juárez Correa’s class was 921.
Zavala Hernandez looked over at the top score in the state:
It was 921. When he saw the next box over, the hairs on
his arms stood up. The top score in the entire country was
also 921.
He printed the page and speed-walked to Juárez Correa’s
classroom. The students stood up when he entered.
classroom. The students stood up when he entered.
“Take a look at this,” Zavala Hernandez said, handing him
the printout.
the printout.
Juárez Correa scanned the results and looked up. “Is this for
real?” he asked.
real?” he asked.
“I just printed it off the ENLACE site,” the assistant principal
responded. “It’s real.”
responded. “It’s real.”
Juárez Correa noticed the kids staring at him, but he wanted
to make sure he understood the report. He took a moment
to read it again, nodded, and turned to the kids.
to make sure he understood the report. He took a moment
to read it again, nodded, and turned to the kids.
“We have the results back from the ENLACE exam,” he said.
“It’s just a test, and not a great one.”
“It’s just a test, and not a great one.”
A number of students had a sinking feeling. They must have
blown it.
blown it.
“But we have a student in this classroom who placed first
in Mexico,” he said, breaking into a smile.
in Mexico,” he said, breaking into a smile.
Paloma received the highest math score in the country,
but the other students weren’t far behind. Ten got math
scores that placed them in the 99.99th percentile. Three of
them placed at the same high level in Spanish. The results
attracted a quick burst of official and media attention in
Mexico, most of which focused on Paloma. She was flown
to Mexico City to appear on a popular TV show and received
a variety of gifts, from a laptop to a bicycle.
but the other students weren’t far behind. Ten got math
scores that placed them in the 99.99th percentile. Three of
them placed at the same high level in Spanish. The results
attracted a quick burst of official and media attention in
Mexico, most of which focused on Paloma. She was flown
to Mexico City to appear on a popular TV show and received
a variety of gifts, from a laptop to a bicycle.
Juárez Correa himself got almost no recognition, despite the
fact that nearly half of his class had performed at a
world- class level and that even the lowest performers
had markedly improved.
fact that nearly half of his class had performed at a
world- class level and that even the lowest performers
had markedly improved.
His other students were congratulated by friends and family.
The parents of Carlos Rodríguez Lamas, who placed in the
99.99th percentile in math, treated him to three steak tacos.
It was his first time in a restaurant. Keila Francisco Rodríguez
got 10 pesos from her parents. She bought a bag of Cheetos.
The kids were excited. They talked about being doctors,
teachers, and politicians.
The parents of Carlos Rodríguez Lamas, who placed in the
99.99th percentile in math, treated him to three steak tacos.
It was his first time in a restaurant. Keila Francisco Rodríguez
got 10 pesos from her parents. She bought a bag of Cheetos.
The kids were excited. They talked about being doctors,
teachers, and politicians.
Juárez Correa had mixed feelings about the test. His students
had succeeded because he had employed a new teaching method,
one better suited to the way children learn. It was a model that
emphasized group work, competition, creativity, and a
student-led environment. So it was ironic that the kids had
distinguished themselves because of a conventional
multiple-choice test. “These exams are like limits for the teachers,
” he says. “They test what you know, not what you can do, and
I am more interested in what my students can do.”
had succeeded because he had employed a new teaching method,
one better suited to the way children learn. It was a model that
emphasized group work, competition, creativity, and a
student-led environment. So it was ironic that the kids had
distinguished themselves because of a conventional
multiple-choice test. “These exams are like limits for the teachers,
” he says. “They test what you know, not what you can do, and
I am more interested in what my students can do.”
Like Juárez Correa, many education innovators are succeeding
outside the mainstream. For example, the 11 Internationals
Network high schools in New York City report a higher graduation
rate than the city’s average for the same populations. They
do it by emphasizing student-led learning and collaboration. At
the coalition of Big Picture Learning schools—56 schools across
the US and another 64 around the world—teachers serve
as advisers, suggesting topics of interest; students also work
with mentors from business and the community, who help guide
them into internships. As the US on-time high school graduation
rate stalls at about 75 percent, Big Picture is graduating more than
90 percent of its students.
outside the mainstream. For example, the 11 Internationals
Network high schools in New York City report a higher graduation
rate than the city’s average for the same populations. They
do it by emphasizing student-led learning and collaboration. At
the coalition of Big Picture Learning schools—56 schools across
the US and another 64 around the world—teachers serve
as advisers, suggesting topics of interest; students also work
with mentors from business and the community, who help guide
them into internships. As the US on-time high school graduation
rate stalls at about 75 percent, Big Picture is graduating more than
90 percent of its students.
But these examples—involving only thousands of students
—are the exceptions to the rule. The system as a whole educates
millions and is slow to recognize or adopt successful innovation.
It’s a system that was constructed almost two centuries ago
to meet the needs of the industrial age. Now that our society
and economy have evolved beyond that era, our schools
must also be reinvented.
—are the exceptions to the rule. The system as a whole educates
millions and is slow to recognize or adopt successful innovation.
It’s a system that was constructed almost two centuries ago
to meet the needs of the industrial age. Now that our society
and economy have evolved beyond that era, our schools
must also be reinvented.
For the time being, we can see what the future looks like in
places like Juárez Correa’s classroom. We can also see that
change will not come easily. Though Juárez Correa’s class
posted impressive results, they inspired little change.
Francisco Sánchez Salazar, chief of the Regional Center
of Educational Development in Matamoros, was even
dismissive. “The teaching method makes little difference,”
he says. Nor does he believe that the students’ success
warrants any additional help. “Intelligence comes from
necessity,” he says. “They succeed without having resources.”
places like Juárez Correa’s classroom. We can also see that
change will not come easily. Though Juárez Correa’s class
posted impressive results, they inspired little change.
Francisco Sánchez Salazar, chief of the Regional Center
of Educational Development in Matamoros, was even
dismissive. “The teaching method makes little difference,”
he says. Nor does he believe that the students’ success
warrants any additional help. “Intelligence comes from
necessity,” he says. “They succeed without having resources.”
More than ever, Juárez Correa felt like the burro in the story.
But then he remembered Paloma. She had lost her father and
was growing up on the edge of a garbage dump. Under normal
circumstances, her prospects would be limited. But like the
burro, she was shaking off the clods of dirt; she had begun
climbing the rising mound out of the well.
But then he remembered Paloma. She had lost her father and
was growing up on the edge of a garbage dump. Under normal
circumstances, her prospects would be limited. But like the
burro, she was shaking off the clods of dirt; she had begun
climbing the rising mound out of the well.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment